The Maldives: Beautiful, Corrupt and Slowly Disappearing

Mohamed Nasheed, the charismatic former president of the Maldives, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in mid-March for ordering the arrest of a senior judge in 2012. The capital, Male, exploded in violence in response. Thousands of Nasheed supporters have been clashing with police ever since Nasheed's arrest in February. Tensions were high in Male in the run-up to the verdict and hundreds of Nasheed's supporters waved "Free Nasheed" posters outside the courtroom.

The trial was pretty much the textbook definition of a travesty of justice; Nasheed was repeatedly denied access to lawyers, denied the right to appeal, and his defence witnesses were prevented from taking the stand. His arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed in 2012 led to weeks of unrest and forced Nasheed to step down as the Maldives' first democratically elected president. Nasheed's win ended the 30-year rule of dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed, who was known as "the Mandela of the Maldives," was arrested and tortured many times under Gayoom's regime. After a coup by forces loyal to Gayoom, Nasheed resigned on February 7, 2012.

Current president Abdulla Yameen Gayoom is the half-brother of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Apparently, relatives of Maldivian dictators can just take over the reins of power when convenient. The latest unrest comes amid concern about increasing Islamist militancy in the country and growing opposition to Yameen's rule. His conviction effectively prohibits Nasheed from running in elections in 2018.

Nasheed issued a call to arms to his supporters: "To change this government and work towards forming a government that would pave the way for the people's development and prosperity; to not be afraid of being arrested or facing a long sentence; to take all of your lives in your hands and to go out onto the streets in protest."

The Maldives is a collection of atolls that adorn the Indian Ocean north of the equator like teardrops. With most of the Maldives' 1,200 islands nosing only one metre out of the Pacific south of India, about 360,000 Maldivians live with the constant danger of being forced to evacuate their homeland. Its highest point of land soars two and a half metres above the beach. The nation is in danger of being reduced to a network of interesting new reefs by 2112.

Nasheed starred in the documentary The Island Presidentabout his efforts to lobby world leaders to proactively fight against climate change. He held the world's first underwater cabinet meeting in October 2009 to draw attention to the plight of the Maldives. Wetsuits replaced pinstripes and hand signals and waterproof white boards were used to draw up a document calling on all countries to cut their emissions. The soggy communiqué read, "we must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises. Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth."

The Maldivians set a good example. The entire country is committed to carbon neutrality by 2020, every child is educated in environmental science and they have furiously built retaining walls around every island. In November 2008, Nasheed announced plans to buy land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia for his people if the danger of inundation becomes too great. He famously told British parliamentarians that being carbon-neutral " ... is not going to stop us from annihilation. But at least we can die knowing that we've done the right thing."

It's surreal and oddly disconcerting to think of political corruption, vote-rigging and torture afflicting an island paradise like the Maldives when the place is so indelibly associated with a noble, desperate battle against global warming. We almost wish the vagaries of political intrigue were limited to cold, hard Northern Hemisphere countries so we can get on with our cheerleading for the plucky Maldivians as they desperately fight to stay afloat.

This is an excerpt from Capt. Trevor Greene's new, self-published book, co-written with Mike Velemirovich, There Is No Planet B: Promise And Peril On Our Warming World.

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In this photo provided by the President's Office, Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed announces his resignation in a nationally televised address Tuesday afternoon, in Male, Maldives, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. The first democratically elected president of the Maldives resigned after the police and army clashed in the streets of the island nation amid protests over his controversial arrest of a top judge. (AP Photo/President's Office, HO)

Maldivian police control the crowds in the capital island Male on February 8, 2012 as they moved to push back thousands of anti-government activists loyal to former president Mohamed Nasheed who stepped down a day earlier. (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Maldivian policemen stand guard during an anti-government protest in the capital island Male on February 8, 2012. (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

A Maldivian policeman looks through two shields as he stands guard during an anti-government protest in the capital island Male on February 8, 2012. (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

An anti-government protester throws back a teargas cannister to police in the capital island Male on February 8, 2012.(S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Maldivian police push back a protester wounded in clashes between police and thousands of anti-government protesters in the capital island Male on February 8, 2012. (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed waves as he emerges from his first public appearance addressing thousands of loyalists on February 8, 2012 in the capital Male a day after stepping down. (Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Maldives new President Mohammed Waheed Hassan gestures during a press conference in Male, Maldives, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. The Maldives new president is calling for the formation of a national unity government to help the country recover from the political crisis that led to the resignation of his predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed Tuesday after police joined protesters against his rule. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned Tuesday from his post as Maldivian President, clash with policemen during a protest in Male, Maldives, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian police officers lead away supporters of Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned from his post as Maldivian President, during a protest in Male, Maldives, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Sinan Hussain)

Supporters of Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned from his post as Maldivian President, take cover from tear gas canisters during a protest in Male, Maldives, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena )

A supporter of Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned Tuesday from his post as Maldivian President, gestures towards policemen and army soldiers during a protest in Male, Maldives, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Police fired tear gas at a rally of about 1,000 people demanding Mohamed Nasheed be reinstated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena )

Maldivian soldiers stand guard with their anti-riot gear beside them in Male, Maldives, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012. A Maldives court issued an arrest warrant for former President Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned but later insisted he had been ousted by coup plotters in a political dispute that sparked rioting. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)

In this Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, photo flames rise from the burning Hulhudhoo Court after it was set afire by supporters of former President Mohamed Nasheed,in Addu City, Maldives. (AP Photo)

In this Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, photo flames rise from burning vehicles at a police station after it was set afire by supporters of former President Mohamed Nasheed, in Addu City, Maldives. Maldives police commissioner Abdullah Riyaz said 18 police stations on several islands, along with an undetermined number of court houses and police vehicles, were destroyed in the violence. A Maldives court issued an arrest warrant for Nasheed, one day after his supporters rampaged in the capital and his claim of being ousted by a coup left unclear the stability of the fledging Indian Ocean democracy. (AP Photo)